SPARK in partnership with Seaoil Foundation Inc. and the Quezon City Office of the Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte launched a project that hopes to uplift the life of Juana-LIPAD Pinay (Local Inclusiveness Project for the Advancement and Development of Filipino Women).

From L-R: Jess Lorenzo (SFI Executive Director), Mark Yu (SFI President), Therese Fernandez-Ruiz (Rags2Riches Inc. President), Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte, Emmeline Verzosa (Philippine Commission on Women Executive Director), Boots Garcia (SPARK Trustee and Secretary-Treasurer).

Women Empowerment and Gender Equality as priority agendas of the project partners, LIPAD Pinay aims to implement the provisions of the Magna Carta of Women and capacitates government (specifically the 8 barangays in Quezon City) to respond to gender and women’s rights issues.

The overall project goal is improved access, provision and control to resources, opportunities, and benefits and create an enabling environment to sustain and grow women-led micro and small enterprises through GAD mainstreaming strategy in the Barangay level.

During the launch, two distinguished speakers were invited, women champions and equality advocates: Philippine Commission on Women Executive Director, Ms Emmeline Verzosa and Rags2Riches, Inc. (R2R) President and Co-Founder, Ms Therese Fernandez-Ruiz. In Director Verzosa opening remarks, she spoke about the mainstreaming Gender in development and how the government encourages gender-responsiveness to all its branches. As the keynote speaker, Ms Ruiz infused creativity in her presentation to invoke inspiration to all the beneficiaries through her story as a social entrepreneur and the lives of women R2R transformed.

In the photo: Ms Reese Ruiz, shared the success of Rags2Riches and how it changed the lives of women in Payatas.

Boots Garcia, (SPARK Secretary-Treasurer) Mark Yu, President (Seaoil Foundation Inc.) and Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte, professed their commitment as project partners and hopes to achieve sustainability of LIPAD Pinay.

Barangay leaders and members of the Gender Focal Point System from 8 Barangays in Quezon City, including project stakeholders attended the launch of LIPAD Pinay.